Monday, December 29, 2025

Lewis Hamilton Battles Car Balance Issues, Threatening His Hungarian Grand Prix Dominance

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, experienced significant difficulties during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, a circuit where he has historically excelled. The British driver expressed his frustration with his Mercedes car, describing the erratic balance as a major challenge affecting his performance.

Known for his impressive record of eight victories at the Hungarian track, Hamilton found himself in an unfamiliar and troubling position, as problems with his car’s balance persisted throughout the day, undermining his competitiveness.

Performance Setbacks During Practice Sessions

Hamilton’s struggles were reflected in the practice timings, where he finished sixth during the second session, trailing Lando Norris by seven-tenths of a second. This gap highlighted the severity of his difficulties compared to the front-runners.

The inconsistency of the car’s behavior was a key issue, with Hamilton noting that the balance shifted drastically between different corners. This unpredictability limited his confidence and ability to push the vehicle to its limits.

Efforts to Solve the Balance Problems Remain Unsuccessful

Despite experimenting with various setups in an attempt to improve the car’s stability, Hamilton and his team were unable to resolve the balance issues. He suggested that tire temperature variations might be partly responsible for the problem, signaling a need for further analysis as race day approaches.

Uncertain Outlook as Hamilton and Team Search for Solutions

As Hamilton faces these technical challenges, the pressure mounts on both the driver and the Mercedes team to find effective solutions in the coming sessions. Whether the seven-time champion can overcome these issues and regain his dominant form on the Hungarian track remains uncertain.